Guillermo Ochoa to play his sixth World Cup, joining Messi and Ronaldo | OneFootball

Guillermo Ochoa will play a sixth World Cup, joining Leo Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. He headlines Mexico’s 2026 squad.

At 40, he plays for AEL Limassol FC in Cyprus. El Periódico Mediterráneo notes his experience secured selection despite a modest year. Mexico face South Africa on Thursday 11 June, and Javier Aguirre has not named his goalkeeper, with Raúl Rangel, 26, seen as likeliest but Ochoa still in contention.

First called up for Germany 2006, he did not play, Oswaldo Sánchez started. The same in South Africa 2010 with Óscar Pérez. He finally debuted at Brazil 2014, beating Cameroon, then the Netherlands ended Mexico’s run late in the last 16.

The pattern repeated at Russia 2018, Mexico stunned holders Germany as Ochoa’s saves underpinned a clean sheet. They finished second in the group, then lost 2-0 to Brazil. At Qatar 2022, Mexico went out in the groups, though Ochoa ended a 92-year wait by saving a World Cup penalty.

Ochoa debuted for Club América in 2004, winning three titles before Europe. In 2007 he became the first Mexican on the Ballon d’Or list, finishing 30th with one vote, ahead of Samuel Eto’o, Carlos Tévez and David Beckham.

He joined AC Ajaccio in 2011, then moved to Málaga, where Carlos Kameni kept the gloves, before a 2016 loan to Granada for regular LaLiga football. After Belgium and a return to Club América, he came back to Europe with Salernitana and AVS Futebol, signing for AEL Limassol in 2025.

Source: El Periódico Mediterráneo